The morning light broke through the dawn, and time flowed steadily. In these three days, the tournament had eliminated more than half of the participants. In addition to the top four, the top ten contestants had been mostly decided.
Without a doubt, this competition aimed to determine the final rankings, with only one person claiming the top spot among four contenders, each with personal grudges. Therefore, the spectators were exceptionally numerous.
Outside the competition arena, betting stalls had been set up. With varying odds, people were placing bets on Nokiyoru, Kizaru, Akainu, and Aokiji. The higher-ups, including Kong, disregarded this, and some old-timers even placed bets worth millions of berries.
Before the competition began, the atmosphere was tense because the final four were incredibly strong. However, this only heightened the excitement for many.
As usual, Kong and the others were seated on the high platform, anticipating the results. Today, the title of the first among the new generation of Marines would be decided. The winner would gain fame, wealth, and power.
“Will the four contestants please come up and draw lots to decide their opponents?” The referee, holding a sealed box containing four tags, called out.
Only two of them needed to draw lots. Whoever drew the tag decided the matchups, making the process straightforward since there were only four contestants.
“Can we choose our opponents ourselves?” Nokiyoru asked coldly, glaring at Akainu with undisguised killing intent.
Kizaru and Aokiji, standing nearby, winced, feeling the pressure of standing between Akainu and Nokiyoru.
The referee, sweating, looked up at Fleet Admiral Kong on the high platform.
“Nokiyoru, this is a competition. The fairness cannot be compromised,” Kong said, his face stern. He thought, “Could you at least pretend a bit? Anyone with half a brain can see you want to kill Akainu immediately.”
“Fine.” Nokiyoru shrugged, then provocatively glanced at Akainu. “Dead dog, I’ll send you to hell soon.”
Akainu’s face turned even darker. From the start, his expression had been anything but calm.
“Hmph, anyone can talk big. I heard you have a sister. Don’t worry, after you die, I’ll make sure she joins you,” Akainu snarled, glaring at Nokiyoru.
“Boom…” Heat waves erupted from Nokiyoru, sinking the ground beneath his feet. Hot steam rose from his body, and his over-shoulder short hair stood up. His eyes, filled with rage, turned bloodshot, and his handsome face twisted into a sinister expression. “Dead dog, you deserve to die.”
Seeing Nokiyoru’s ferocious state, everyone felt a deep sense of dread, especially Kizaru, Aokiji, and the referee, who stood in the middle. They felt like they were being stared down by a primordial beast, making their hair stand on end.
On the high platform, Kong and the others looked grave.
“Akainu made a mistake with that move,” Tsuru sighed, shaking her head. “Nokiyoru’s reverse scale is his sister. Up until now, Nokiyoru has been pushing himself to get stronger for her. Akainu’s words didn’t just fail to demoralize Nokiyoru; they triggered his endless rage. Now, Akainu has even less chance of surviving.”
“Little Tsuru, do you really think so highly of Nokiyoru?” Garp asked, his face unusually serious.
“You don’t understand that guy. If left alone, it’s fine. But if provoked, it’s a fight to the death. Especially now that Akainu has threatened his sister,” Tsuru said, shaking her head, clearly not optimistic about Akainu’s chances.
“Is it really that serious?” Though Garp didn’t seem too concerned, he took it more seriously.
“No, Tsuru is right. Nokiyoru will likely stop at nothing to kill Akainu now. When that guy gets ruthless, he’ll abandon everything,” Sengoku said gravely. “This is Nokiyoru before his full potential is realized. When he grows, it’s hard to imagine the future. Sometimes I wonder if having such a madman in the Marines is a good thing.”
“Akainu relies too much on his Devil Fruit and hasn’t trained as intensely as Nokiyoru. Not to mention the combat experience. Nokiyoru spent an extra month and a half on the Beast Island. No one knows how much stronger he’s gotten; it’s all an unknown.”
It was evident that many didn’t favor Akainu because, on two previous occasions, he had lost to Nokiyoru. If not for timely rescues, Akainu might have been dead by now.
Outside the arena, the whispers continued, while inside, the atmosphere was filled with violence.
After a final glance at Akainu, Nokiyoru, expressionless, reached into the box and pulled out a tag. Looking at the name on the tag, he frowned and stared at Kizaru.
Feeling Nokiyoru’s gaze, Kizaru’s heart skipped a beat, and his lecherous face instantly darkened.
“Next,” the referee said, giving Kizaru a strange look.
Aokiji stepped forward, drew a tag, and then calmly looked at Akainu.
“Do either of you have any objections?” the referee asked Akainu and Kizaru. If they had objections, they could draw lots instead. However, each of them had too much pride. Raising objections would mean admitting they were inferior.
So, objections were out of the question. Each was confident in themselves. Despite their wariness, they were excited. Without a doubt, Akainu, Kizaru, Aokiji, and Nokiyoru were such people.
“Since there are no objections, the match begins: Nokiyoru vs. Kizaru.”
Moments later, Nokiyoru and Kizaru faced off in the arena.
“Bad luck. Looks like this fight will be tough. But for the top spot, I have to take it seriously,” Kizaru said, stretching. His usual lecherous face turned serious, his eyes fixed on Nokiyoru.
“Kizaru, I’ll give you a chance. Surrender now, and we’ll consider the incident between us settled. My target has always been that dead dog. I don’t want to waste time on you.”
Nokiyoru spoke calmly. He wasn’t joking. Kizaru’s ability was too troublesome. Even Nokiyoru wasn’t entirely confident in beating him. So, he hoped Kizaru would back down, though he didn’t hold much hope.
As expected, Kizaru replied, “I know you’re not trying to provoke me, but I’m still very annoyed.”
Kizaru’s face darkened. “Last time was my mistake. But I have my pride. Just because I’m wary of you doesn’t mean I fear you. Let’s see what the madman can do.”
“Looks like I’ll have to go all out. Are you ready for my revenge?” Nokiyoru smiled wickedly, his body starting to emit flames that grew larger and larger until the entire arena felt like it was bathed in lava, making everyone sweat profusely.
“Nokiyoru, have you ever been kicked by light?” Kizaru said, his body beginning to glow.
“I’ve been curious,” Nokiyoru said, tilting his head slightly. His eyes turned golden, flickering like flames.
“Whoosh…” Without warning, Kizaru’s body left a trail of golden light as he appeared above Nokiyoru, his right foot shining with incredible power.
Suddenly, Nokiyoru tilted his head, losing a few strands of hair. The ground behind him exploded.
Raising his hand, covered in Armament Haki, Nokiyoru tried to grab Kizaru, but Kizaru had already turned into light and reappeared in the distance.
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